Strategies to Assist Job Seekers and Employers Maintain
Confidentiality While Using Recruitment Websites.

Confidentiality is the cornerstone of any retained executive
search practice. It is critical for the job seeker to have a
comfort level that discussions about potential opportunities
are kept in confidence. If a company finds out that that an
employee is looking, it can jeopardize that person's current
situation. Employers also have a need for discretion when
seeking new talent. They might be looking to replace an
existing employee or need to be sensitive to internal
candidates who may feel that they are next in line for a
coveted position. The experienced search consultant can
deftly handle any of these scenarios. But what happens when
human intervention is taken out of the mix? When using
recruitment websites, both the employer and job seeker must
take extreme care. Over the past few years I have seen
myriad of ways that confidence can be broken. Some are
readily apparent, but some are quite subtle. Let us first
examine tips for the job seeker.

Most internet job boards allow job seekers to register and
post their resumes as confidential Candidates. Best practice
companies are drawn to these individuals because they are
most likely passive candidates, A players who are not
actively looking for a job but are willing to hear about
potential opportunities. When posting one's resume on a
website, it critical to examine what confidential means,
specific to that job board. What information will an
employer see when looking at a job seeker's credentials?
What won't they see? Will one have the ability to view one's
profile exactly as the employer will see it? If the
instructions are not clear on the website, the candidate
should call the provider directly to clarify. I have seen
many profiles where certain data have been blocked out in
one section but visible in another (this happens often when
candidates can copy and paste information into a field).
Depending on the technology, the only way an employer can
contact a confidential candidate is directly though the
website. Should a candidate need to leave a contact e-mail
address, using a corporate one (ex: jsmith@hilton.com) is
not advisable. Overall, the candidate wants to be able to
give an employer enough information regarding his/her skills
and responsibilities so that interest is peaked, but not so
detailed that it compromise the candidate's present
position. The senior level executive has to be even more
careful. A group sales manager For a luxury hotel in Los
Angeles is fairly ambiguous, but a VP of Purchasing? For an
8-property group in Chicago is more revealing, especially
when combined with other information in the profile. It is
an intimate circle at the corporate level of the hospitality
industry. In fact, confidential or not, I am surprised to
see so many senior-level, even CEO resumes online.
Networking and speaking with select retained executive
search firms are much more attractive ways to sell and
market oneself at that level.

Companies, too, need to be cautious about how and where they
post their confidential positions. Internal communication is
key in this regard. A common mistake is that a confidential
job can appear on their corporate board or on other
recruitment sites, because human resources was not informed
of the need for discretion. Like a confidential candidate,
an employer must craft a detailed job posting that will
elicit responses, but which doesn't divulge the company,
(ex: fortune 500 coffee chain rated a top company to work
for seeks a CFO). Contact information given through a
posting must be guarded as well. Other than applying
directly online, a separate hotmail or yahoo E-mail address
can be created for the hiring authority. It is relatively
easy these days to do a reverse look-up for a fax number
through the Internet. A savvy job seeker will want to
research a company as much as possible to gain an edge. And
once someone gets the inside information, it won't take long
to get around. At some point all confidential searches must
be revealed, but employers need to control the process as
best as possible.

Topics such as personal privacy and identity theft are
becoming more prevalent as our society has shifted to
communicate through electronic mediums. Entirely new
business models have grown out of a need to protect this
information. As recruitment and career services are
increasingly conducted through the internet, companies and
individuals need to be vigilant about how their information
is both seen and disseminated.